Been looking for a '50's Ford project car to experiment with customizing and have committed to a well worn 'parts car' as a starting point. It's a '54 Ford Crestline 4 door. All of the exterior sheet metal is there but no glass. Front bumper but no grille. Dash is gone and the seats might as well be. Steering column and box are missing but tie rods and center link intact. Fordomatic trans still in car. Purchase price was roughly scrap value so even if I get in over my head I can still recover my initial investment. My plan is to get the car on 4 wheels as a roller then bolt-on and align the sheet metal. Mods will begin with chopping the top so the missing glass is not an immediate issue. I've read several threads about rack and pinion conversions on the cheap so making it steer won't be a great issue. Cool thing happened today when I went by to take some pics. Had just left the location of the Crestline and had driven about a mile when I passed a house with a '53 Mainline in the drive with the hood up. These cars aren't exactly comman place no matter where you live, so I put the car in reverse driving backwards while looking in the mirror and pulled up behind it and began to talk with the owner. Turns out it was a friend of a new owner of the car that had just traded a '78 Nova for it. It had a straight 6 with 3 speed, shifter moved to floor, Cadillac leather front and rear seats that fit the body well, GM 1 wire alternator, Rochester carb, CD player, smooth aluminum wheels, hot rod black primer. I might have almost encountered a rare Skunk Ape as I smelled one a couple of times but kept circling back around to the car. Good thing I didn't get sprayed, my wife would have had me naked in the shop, not that that's a bad thing! Check out these pics and give me your input. tnrotter http://s735.photobucket.com/albums/ww356/tnrotter/1954 Crestline/
You should be able to learn a few thngs by working on that ol' girl...looks like a good starting point for what you a looking for. Keep us posted on how things progress.
Looks like a real challenge,I guess I got it easy with my '54 drop by www.1954ford.com and check in for advice and parts info,be glad to have 'Ya stop by.Best of luck! R.I.P. Popcorn Sutton!
No offense intended...but why are you starting out with a parted out 4 door field car? Are you doing this to practice chopping a top? Those cars are hard to do aesthetically, and that curved glass sure isn't doing you any favors, as well as the fact it's a four door means that much more work. If you just want to get some experience under your belt before chopping a car you have money in, then my hats off to you, I think that's a fantastic idea and a great plan. If you want to really build it into a driver, I'd encourage you to keep looking for a better start, unless you just really want a chopped 4 door and have a source for glass or don't mind plexy. No matter what you do, best of luck to you and welcome to the hamb.
I know it's a rough starting point, but I can't hurt it. I do want to do away with the wrap around back glass I think. Can get a window and opening out of something else. 4 doors doesn't bother me, most of America grew up in them, although if I could find a pair of doors from a 2 door I might would attempt a conversion. Once I get it moved to the barn, I'll start with a sharpie, and as some of you have recommended some pics to cut up, before I reach for the sawzall. No offense taken for any critisisms and thanks for all encouragement. How does the width of the dash compare from this year body to the shoeboxes? tnrotter
glad to see another odd ball ford being hot roded, i thought i was the only nut on hre with my 52 crestline, pics are in my profile
Sounds like you've got a plan and you're not afraid of work, good on you! I love the 52-54 Fords. One I looked at forever ago sank the rear window and ran plexi in the front(yuck). Here's some pics of another one I wish I'd bought. EDIT: here's a 4dr to 2dr conversion article from my how to build shoebox fords 49-54 book. If you ever see a copy grab it, those things are $75 on amazon since they're outta print Now I gotta get back to Airport '77 on AMC!
That one looks sweet! The sunken rear window doesnt sound too appealing. I like a leaning back window over a vertical one, and with the roof chop, the top of the window would move forward. I've got several smaller curved rear glasses from early to mid sixties Fords that I can mock up on the back when that time comes. We got so much rain recently, it's going to be awhile before I can think about moving the beast. tnrotter
Go for it!!! If it is cheap enough, you cannot hurt it. Don't modify removable parts until last... if it is a failed endevor, you may be able to sell some of the pieces.
if you look in my gallery I had a 53 customline 2dr...as said above it seems like a big bite to chew, but if your up for the challenge...I think if you were to look around you could get a rolling ride rather then a field ornament...just my 2 sense...
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